how to make crispy veggie fries without the fat

It’s their favorite meal of the week, and for once I don’t have to negotiate with them (they should both be lawyers!). The steak is grass fed from Trader Joe’s, and while I’m there, I grab a bag of fries too.

Yes! The Clever Carrot doesn’t make her own fries!

You heard that right. In my defense, the correct way to make fries is to double fry the potatoes for a super crispy outside and fluffy middle. Tell me something: who in their right mind would double fry anything in raging hot oil at the end of the week?

Interestingly enough, my dad told me about this Airfryer so I was somewhat familiar with the concept. He made Chinese spareribs and they were beyond delicious. Oprah even put the Airfryer on her Favorites Things List (2016). So, how could I not want to learn more?!

After watching this demo video, all I could think about were crispy fries for the rest of the day. I think my thighs got smaller.

So, here’s how it works:

Its unique shape allows hot air to circulate all around the food, for even cooking without the fat. All you need is 1 tablespoon of olive oil! Any residual oil drains away as it cooks so you’re not left with a soggy mess. The food is crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside.

You can use the Airfryer to cook all sorts of things too, including veggies, steak, desserts, even bread!

For the recipe, I created a medley of veggie fries.

The lineup included sweet potatoes, parsnips, and heirloom carrots. I tossed the veggies in olive oil, garlic powder, and rosemary, and dusted them with cornmeal for a crunchy texture on the finish.

Each vegetable takes a different amount of time to cook, so I air-fried everything in batches. The parsnips cooked the fastest, followed by the sweet potatoes and carrots. Because carrots don’t have as much starch as the other veggies, they didn’t fully crisp as per a typical french fry, but cooked nicely and had great flavor.

And guess what else?!

**GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED! 12/27/16**

I have a FANTASTIC giveaway for YOU!

One lucky winner is going to receive the following, courtesy of Phillips:

* For best results, make sure to cut the vegetables roughly the same size, for even cooking.

Instructions

Set your Airfryer to 350 F.

Peel and trim all of the vegetables. Cut into ½-inch sticks. The best way to do this, is to cut the vegetables into slices first, lengthwise, and then across to create 'fries'. Place the vegetables into 3 bowls, respectively.

Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, rosemary, garlic powder, and a sprinkle of cornmeal. Toss well to combine.

To air-fry, place half of the sweet potatoes into the fry basket, making sure not to go over the max line. Cook for 6-9 minutes or until crispy. Transfer to a wire rack and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

For the parsnips, cook for 3-4 minutes. For the carrots, cook for 10-15 minutes.

Serve directly on the cooling rack, family-style, or on a large platter. Veggie fries are best enjoyed warm, fresh out of the Airfryer.

Comments

I’m a sucker for sweet potato fries, but I’m always so let down with their soft texture when baking them at home! Sweet potato fries would be the first thing! (Then beet chips, then potato chips…and I’m really curious about that bread!)

I would first do a collection of different French fries. Maybe ones dusted with smoky paprika, ones dusted cumin and chili powder,and ones dusted with fresh garlic parsley and Parmesan. Then I would maybe try donuts! Or Beignets!

Besides these veggie frys id love to try fried chicken. Switched to oven fried a long time ago but the thought of real fried chicken appeals. Saw these on sale on Black Friday but didn’t want to brace the crowd not knowing results. Thanks.

I am always trying new recipes but have shied away from any that require deep frying, much to my disappointment. I would LOVE to try all of them, especially veggie fries since I have found other methods don’t really result in crisp fries.

I will totally make French fries!! But then I’ll use them to make poutine. I’m married to a Canadian, so poutine is always on the list of cravings. However, how can I justify French fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy? Maybe, just maybe an air fryer is the answer.

I haven’t had fries in YEARS because of all the oil and fat! I’ve been dying to get an air fryer because my friend has one and she says it makes the best sweet potato fries. I would love to be able to eat fries again without the guilt. It’s on my Christmas list, but I’d love to win one!

I love making healthy snacks for the week out of fruits and veggies. My favorite is turning zucchini, sweet potatoes, kale, or apples into bite sized chips! I do this by baking them with similar seasoning you used for your fries. Of course this does not come out as tasty as frying them would, but its a much healthier option and still satisfies the taste buds! I would LOVE to see how they would come out in the AirFryer. Your fries look and sound delicious – either way I have to get my hands on one of these to play around with! Thank you for the giveaway chance!

I teach kids how to cook, eat, and grow food in underserved low income areas. Tools like this expand our reach and helps kids find healthy alternatives. We would love a device that would help lower fat usage. Thank you for considering us.

I’m trying to reduce my fat intake and this can truly help. I have struggled with this issue a long time and as a cook I am many times tempted to bring the deep fryer out of hiding for my Spanish recipes that need to be fried. I can see it now,the unendless possiblies with a air fryer. I would love to try this with my mother’s empanadas.

Wow!… I would very mush like to make “Pastacelle,” a southern Italian favorite Christmas pastry. You won’t find recipes for these in any but the more exotic cookbooks of southern Italian cuisine. In size, they are about the same as small semi-lunar “handpies” or empanadas. They are filled with a mixture of dark or semi-sweet chocolate held together with powdery fine almond meal, cookie meal, a spike of espresso coffee and sugar. Orange zest is often added, too, for that incredible chocolate-orange flavor. Yummy.
The closed edge of a pastacelle pastry is twisted into a row of little nubbins which puff up when deep fried, so they look a bit like little crabs, hence the Italian name is also “granchi cioccolato” which means “chocolate crabs.”
I would love to enjoy these again without the heaviness of deep frying. The air fryer sounds like just the ticket!

I make a lot of oven fries, baking them at least 3 times a week, my kids love’m! Normally, I cut the potatoes into wedges, drizzle with a bit of olive oi and cook them for 45-60 minutes. It takes a lot more time than frying but they are healthier and in my eyes taste better. I use russets and sweet potatoes, the kids don’t like the latter. I season the sweet potatoes with cinnamon, cayenne & rosemary and finish them with a drizzle of honey. I’ve experimented with coating the russets with duck fat and so far love the results! After checking the Airfryer recipe page I would like to make some chicken and fries (of course).

Im a life long vegetarian in a house of meat eaters. I’ve refused to make meat (no idea how to cook it!) but I’d love to try with something like this. I’d probably make chicken for the first time ever in my life. I bet the family would be so happy too!

What a friday night line up! Love those freezer fries ;) especially the crinkly ones (our vice!) but man does this air fryer sound so unique. I love the sound of it here, and your crispy home-fries sell it Emilie <3. I hope you and your two little lawyers (and hubs) are having the merriest start to your holiday season. lots of xs and os.

your fam is quite lucky to get steak and fries every friday night! i’m so glad you posted your thoughts on the air fryer because it was a topic of discussion at thanksgiving. kind of amazes me that you can do it with so little oil! i feel like it’s something i’d use often. and i think the first thing i’d try is spiralized sweet potato fries. xo!

I would love to fry up some chicken cutlets since I haven’t made them for my family in a very long time because of how unhealthy the traditional frying pan seems to to be.My husband would be a very happy man to eat those again!

Okay, so I’d probably would fry everything with this, but if i had to narrow it down to a few things I’d make, fried yogurt/ice cream, fries of all kind, avocado tempura, crispy chicken (the list goes on and on). I also love how versatile this fryer is because it also has other cooking capabilities as well!

Wings recipe please! One of my fried weaknesses! That and southern fried chicken. If there is a healthier way to make either of these that gives me the flavor and crunch of real artery clogging fried goodness, I’m game to try it. Baked doesn’t cut it for me, I’d rather go without.

I would love to try jerusalem artichoke chip or fries. I usually roast them or eat them raw, but I bet nice crispy chips would be delish!!! I would also try fried artichoke hearts when the little ones are in season!

Oh, I would fry lots of veggies, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, squash rounds, potatoes, and so much more! I hate all the grease associated with normal deep frying, and this type sounds so much better.
Thanks for the chance to win it!
~Gin K.~

These looks so delish!! I would try so many different roots/veggies- carrots, sweet potato, ect. But the first thing I would try is beets! I love roasted beets so I think they might turn out well. Plus, beets have so many benefits for you it’s a great way to serve them to those that may not like them steam, roasted, or raw!

This is so cool! I don’t mind the fat from frying (as long as you’re using good quality fat) but I can leave the mess ANY day of the week. I would love, love, love to make chicken wings in this! I am obsessed with that crispy skin and I’m always trying to get it in the oven, without too much luck. :)

I would like to try fried cauliflower. I’ve never tried it, but I’ve heard that it has a whole different taste than boiled. French fries and fried sweet potatoes would also be high on my list. Thanks for the opportunity to enter this contest.

I would love to make some healthy, vegetable based sides (similar to this post) for my dad when I am home for the holidays. As a nutrition student, finding alternatives to less healthy food options is important. Also, I love reading your blog for inspiration – it’s so great! Happy Holidays.

Olie Bollen (Dutch doughnuts). My uncle made them (when he was alive)…..cooked in a huge pot of hot oil. Mmmmmmmm; however, as we reinvent and try new things I’m sure they would be excellent cooked in an airfryer….Infinity more crunchy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside….as they should be :)

I am in love with sweet potato fries! We do very little frying and they are not crisp when baked. This appliance sounds like the solution. I would also like to try other vegs in one. Has anyone tried frying squash or green beans? ….the possibilities are making my mind whirl. I could have fun with this. And, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family.

Your fries look amazing and easy. My next choice would be home made Chinese egg rolls, family recipe. Lots of work but worth all the effort. Always invite friends or family to share in the experience. Making me hungry…
Thank you

Sun chokes and zucchini fries would be right up there. Or maybe some romanesco covered in pancetta. Otherwise, I love sweet potato fries, covered in any plethora of herbs and spices. Sumac is great for that…. lovely zingy citrus kick and give it a further north African feel with some chilli flakes and cumin.

I’ve lost over 100lbs in the last year, so as you can imagine, fried foods of any sort have become a thing of my past, but I must admit that I sure do miss a good french fry! That would be the first item that I would make with this healthy kitchen appliance.

I love sweet potato fries but I would love to try to fry a hard boiled egg like the Irish do. I am not found of some of the spices they add (Irish restaurant we like to go) but with some creative spice blends I know I could create a mouth-watering deep fries hard boiled egg. Cheers!

As a new mama with a husband who works days at a time as a firefighter, I usually don’t get to eat breakfast until around noon and often skip dinner altogether as I’m too exhausted to put things together. I found a recipe for a roticerie chicken that cooks and in an hour! I would probably make that! So many different things you can make with one roasted chicken! On a day when the husband is home and there is more time, I would robably make some of his once a year indulgent favorites, – pecan pie and biscuits and maybe Emeril’s bacon and corn pudding, because yum! All served with a non air fried salad. Haha. Also saw yummy Indian recipes and veggie recipes and even cakes!

Hmmm, I remember having some deep fried pickles at our Minnesota State Fair and they were so good! I would love to try and recreate them along with a killer sauce to dip them in. Maybe a sour cream Chipotle or a creamy mustard ranch. Mmmm.

my husband just learned the one stick of butter+ 4 slices 0f white bread torn and mashed and turned to breadcrumbs on the stove. with constant stirring for around 10 minutes in a small saucepot until medium brown. my mothers recipe. storebought breadcrumbs are so dry and sawdusty!

with the air fryer, i would not fret about all that butter or grease. i believe it would be wonderful to use my mandoline to shave slices of potatoes and create little millefeuille without all the calories and fat. also, individual apple pies and stratas (potatoes or green squash or spinach, etc. with cheese and a pastry crust. i enjoy serving a lovely plate where every friend has their own individual serving.

Bacon because, come on, bacon. Fish because steamed is good, but fried is great. Croutons because a small handful of big, chunky, flavor-filled, toasty pieces of bread single-handedly make a $7 salad a $13 salad.

I would fry up every vegetable that I like and see how great it would taste. Then I would move on to popcorn, potatoes and maybe even bananas! I think I could spend all of January & February just playing with this wonderful invention!

I am laughing so hard right now – “The Clever Carrot doesn’t make her own fries!” I can hear you saying that. I am also a fan of shortcuts of the good kind. I am seriously smitten with this device! I think I’d have to make a batch of parsnip fries. I sometimes love the flavor and sometimes don’t. I think they would be delicious in fry-form, though! ;-) I hope you have the merriest of Christmases this year. XO!

My friend recently bought this and we had fun trying out some frozen foods like fries, popcorn chicken and mozzarella sticks. But I want to use this for healthier eating – so would probably want to try making broccoli, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, bitter gourd and chicken. Of course, there would be the occasional indulgence of french fries! :)

Oh my goodness, a giveaway for an air Fryer? You are the best! I just learned about these a few weeks ago from a friend. What I would make first? That’s easy! I’d make those veggie fries of yours. Then I’d try eggplant because I hate frying eggplant but looove to eat it. Thank you!

I am such a kitchen gadget geek, this is one item I have always dreamed of having, but never could get to shelling out the bucks (I have kept the Williams and Sonoma catalog page tabbed to this item for months on end). If I won, I might just put it in the kitchen and stare at it lovingly for a few days. But then, I would go to town looking through recipes to see what all I could do with it. What doesn’t taste better fried?? But, for the first test run, I’d try the potato fries recipe. Then, I’d look at other vegetables (asparagus, carrots, green beans) and see if I can’t win my husband over to eating more vegetables.

Donuts. I want them fried but not heavy. Rolled in sugar while they’re still hot to give them a crust and then filled with custard. Or fried chicken. Its winter. The perfect time for culinary decadence.

Sounds amazing! What would I like to cook in it ? Everything! :) I would love to try eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato, Yuca chips, beets, plantains, and so on, and so on. Fried food without the fat? Dream come true ….thank you for introducing the product !

Wow so many things I’d like to try from okra to onions to Brussels sprouts to eggplant. If I had to do one though I’d have to choose a dish I’ve never seen made any other way and I’d want to experiment with Calabrese Zeppole. this would make christmas cooking be a cinch for thousands of us…crossing my fingers for Santa to be from Philips this year

Sorry for the late post. I;ve been eyeing the airfryer for a while. I would love to make chicken cutlets and eggplants (both for a healthy parmigiana). I have cut out a lot of traditional frying, but still have not found a good way to make healthy, moist chicken cutlets …